Gastric ghrelin in relation to gender, stomach topography and Helicobacter pylori in dyspeptic patients

AIM: To investigate the level of gastric ghrelin in stomach mucosa of dyspeptic patients in relation to Helicobacter pylori ( H pylori) infection, bacterial cytotoxicity, topography and gender.METHODS: The study comprised 40 premenopausal women (19 H pylori positive) and 48 men (17 H pylori positive) with functional dyspepsia.All gastric biopsy specimens revealed normal mucosa or non-atrophic gastritis.Gastric ghrelin concentration was determined by Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The cagA and vacA strains of bacterial DNA were identified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.RESULTS: In general, infection with H pylori caused an increase in gastric ghrelin level regardless of gender and stomach topography.Significantly more hormone was present in both, non-infected and H pylori positive female samples, as compared to males.The distribution of bacterial strains showed cagA(+) vacA s1m1 and cagA(-) vacA s2m2 genotypes as the most common infections in the studied population.A tendency to higher ghrelin levels was observed in less cytotoxic ( cagA negative) strain-containing specimens from the antrum and corpus of both gender groups (without statistical significance).CONCLUSION: An increase in gastric ghrelin levels at the stage of non-atrophic gastritis in H pylori positive patients, especially in those infected with cagA(-) strains, can exert a gastroprotective effect.     

Histo-morphologic characteristics of intra-osseous implants of WE43 Mg alloys with and without heat treatment in an in vivo cranial bone sheep model

WE43 Mg alloy, composed of Mg, Yttrium, Rare Earth elements, and Zirconium, has proved to be a suitable candidate for production of resorbable osteosynthesis implants in both clinical and experimental settings. In a previous study we tested biocompatibility and degradation properties of untreated (as-cast) and artificially aged (T-5) WE43 Mg-alloys as subperiosteal implants on a maxillofacial sheep model. Both the alloy compositions showed excellent biocompatibility, however, with respect to degradation rate, the as-cast form showed increased degradability compared with the T-5. In the present study, we tested the same alloy composition (i.e. as-cast and T-5) to assess their biological behavior and degradation pattern when implanted as endosteal implants on a calvarial bone sheep model. Six implants in form of cylindrical discs were tested in 6 sheep, one per composition of each disc was placed in two monocortical cranial defect created with high speed trephine bur in the parietal bone. After euthanasia at 6 weeks histomorphological analysis of the bone/implant specimens was performed. WE43-as cast showed higher degradation rate, increased bone remodeling, gas pockets formation and osteolysis compared with the T5 alloy. WE43-T5 showed greater bone/implant interface stability, and seemed to be more suitable for fabrication of endosteal bone screws.     

Microvascular and proteomic signatures overlap in COVID-19 and bacterial sepsis: the MICROCODE study

Angiogenesis - Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and bacterial sepsis are distinct conditions, both are known to trigger endothelial dysfunction with corresponding microcirculatory...